The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to hire more than 2,000 employees in fiscal year 2027 to process disability compensation and pension claims, VA said Oct. 29. The plan follows a record year for claims. VA received more than 3.15 million claim submissions in fiscal 2026, up 80% from fiscal 2022, and processed a record-high 3.1 million.
VA says it already has more than 13,000 employees on board to process claims. At roughly 15% on top of that base, the new hires would be added to that group to handle claims veterans are expected to file in the coming years. The release names no locations for the jobs and gives no start date inside the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2026 and runs through September 2027.
For a veteran with a claim already in, the question is whether the hiring changes the wait. It is a plan, not a result, and VA has not said when the hires will start. The status of any single claim is tracked claim by claim, and VA’s online tracker lists the evidence it has asked for in each file. Anyone with an open claim, or a surviving spouse with a pending pension application, has an immediate step: see what VA is waiting on.
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How big was the claims surge?
VA says the fiscal 2026 submissions total of more than 3.15 million was a record, and that it is 80% above the level in fiscal 2022. The department processed 3.1 million compensation and pension claims over the same year, also a record. VA says it granted 60.1% of all claims filed, which leaves about four in 10 claims without a grant, though the release does not break down why. Some of those go on to appeal, and VA says 3.2% of decisions were appealed.
VA credits part of the rise to outreach. A fiscal 2026 campaign to reach veterans who were not enrolled included more than 11,000 live events, the release says, and more than 300,000 new veterans enrolled in VA health care so far in calendar 2026.
What does VA say about speed and accuracy?
VA put its claims accuracy at 93.88%, which it calls the highest in three years. About 3.2% of decisions were appealed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the release, “VA is putting Veterans first by making major improvements in claims processing volume, speed and accuracy.”
The Oct. 29 release does not give a backlog figure. Earlier this year, the American Legion reported on July 8 that VA said its backlog of compensation and pension claims had fallen below 70,000 for the first time since February 2020. A claim counts as backlogged once it has been pending for more than 125 days.
In the same report, VA said average processing time was 77.7 days, the fastest on record, and that the share of claims older than 125 days was 11.6%, compared with 70% in 2013. Those figures describe the system as of early July, not the end of the fiscal year. VA also said it had cut the backlog by more than 74% since Jan. 20, 2025, and had decided more than 1 million claims in under 30 days since January 2025.
What does the hiring plan leave unanswered?
The Oct. 29 release does not tie the 2,000 new positions to a target for waiting times, and it gives no total for claims still pending. VA instead points to volume, speed and accuracy as measures it says are improving. With submissions up 80% in four years, the size of the incoming workload is the figure the hiring is meant to match.
Where will the new hires come from?
VA says veterans and others can apply for the jobs through a USAJobs posting for claims processors. The department also points to WARTAC, a program that lets transitioning service members train on active duty, which can lead to jobs at VA’s 56 regional benefits offices.
The hiring is described as a plan for fiscal 2027. VA has not published a schedule of how many people start in which months or where they will be assigned, so the effect on waiting times is not something the release can answer yet. For veterans who file in the coming months, the practical difference will show up only if the new staff arrive faster than new claims do.
How can a veteran see where a claim stands?
VA’s claim and appeal status page shows, after sign-in, a list of claims, decision reviews and appeals and the status of each. It shows where the claim is in the review process, the evidence filed online, any extra evidence VA has asked for and the claim type. Veterans can upload evidence for initial claims there and download some decision letters.
The page notes that documents sent by mail or fax, or brought in person, do not show up online. Veterans who mailed evidence may need to confirm with VA that it arrived. For health care claims, the decision letter carries its own status instructions.
Because the page lists any additional evidence VA has requested, it is the one step a veteran can take today that does not depend on VA hiring anyone.
Is your VA claim still pending?
A record claims year means a longer line, and a claim that stalls on missing paperwork waits even longer. For wartime veterans and surviving spouses with limited income, the pension claim is the one the kit is built around, and a complete form up front is what keeps it moving.
The Veterans Benefits Action Kit is a 75-page guide that covers the three VA pension levels including Aid & Attendance, how to file for free with VA Form 21P-527EZ, and a claim tracker. Part 6 explains the three appeal lanes for a decision that goes the wrong way.
Get the claim tracker and the free-filing steps for the VA pension →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
